The officer-involved shooting was justified in 2023

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A new report from the Washoe County District Attorney’s Office said an officer-involved shooting in January 2023 was justified and legal under Nevada law.

The district attorney’s office said Friday that the report was being postponed until the ongoing prosecution of one of the suspects, Jeremiah Graham, could be completed.

On January 8, 2023 around 6:00 PM, Reno Police Department officers were called to 1570 Sky Valley Drive for suspicious circumstances. The caller told dispatch that her grandson lives at that address in Building D and told dispatch that someone had tried to open his apartment door before a gunshot could reportedly be heard.

When officers arrived, they could hear a woman screaming near Building D. Officers then found a woman identified as Anna Doyle, whose face appeared bloody, bruised and swollen. Doyle told police she lived in one of the nearby apartments with her boyfriend Scott Kennedy, Graham, who she said was Kennedy’s brother, and Graham’s girlfriend, Salina Cruz.

Doyle told police she had an argument with Graham and Cruz and was pushed out of the apartment and not allowed back in. Doyle asked police to help her get into her apartment so she could gather her things and leave.

The police then attempted to contact the residents of the apartment. Cruz eventually opened the door and gave the officer a note saying she was sorry it took so long to open the door, but that she was sick and sleeping. Cruz denied knowing what happened to Doyle, but gave police permission to go inside with Doyle to retrieve her belongings.

The police asked to conduct a security search in all rooms of the apartment. Cruz denied officers access to her room but allowed them to search the rest of the rooms.

Doyle and Cruz were asked if there were any weapons in the apartment, to which they said no.

Cruz returned to her room, closed and locked the door and did not come out while officers were on scene to assist Doyle.

Doyle told police she shared a room with Kennedy and had to get clothes from that room. As police escorted Doyle to her bedroom, they walked through the living room and saw an empty gun holster resting on top of a fish tank. Additionally, while in her bedroom, officers observed an AR rifle hanging from a sling on the bedroom wall, a shotgun against a wall, and several Glock pistol cases in the room.

After Doyle collected her belongings, she and the officer left the apartment and went to the parking lot to be processed by REMSA. While REMSA was caring for Doyle, an adult black woman approached officers asking if they were there because of the shooting that had occurred earlier in the day. She also gave police a general location in the parking lot where she believed the incident occurred. Police inspected the area and found .40-caliber shell casings and red stains indicating the presence of blood.

While police discussed the various incidents, Doyle separated from REMSA and refused to take a witness statement. She told officers she had changed her mind and no longer felt safe. She also told officers that while she was being treated by REMSA, she received a call from her mother telling her to leave the area because Graham threatened to harm Doyle if she pressed charges.

She was urged to complete the statement, but instead left the area. After Doyle left the area, police shifted their attention to the alleged shooting in the parking lot.

While officers on scene were discussing the incident, another officer arrived on scene and explained that another call for assistance had come into RPD. The caller told police he was the victim of the parking lot shooting and was waiting for an interview at the Wrightway Market.

While police responded to the market, another officer remained at the Sky Valley Drive address to maintain the scene and monitor activity from the apartment. Police were concerned because of the large number of weapons found in the apartment and suspected the two calls may be related. They then devised a plan to approach the apartment’s residents if they were to leave. During surveillance of the apartment, police observed movement in the bedroom where several weapons were located.

An officer then saw two men, later identified as Kennedy and Graham, walking near Building D and entering the apartment. Once inside, police noticed movement in the bedroom shared by Doyle and Kennedy, where several weapons were located. Kennedy and Graham then left the apartment.

Police then tried to approach the two men on foot.

Around 7:33 p.m., an RPD officer reported two men running from the apartment with weapons. The officer gave a verbal command to stop before shots were fired in his direction, causing the officer to fire back.

After hearing the gunfire, another officer exited his car with his AR-15 rifle and quickly moved to the area where he heard the shots. One of the officers radioed that he had been shot.

The four then became involved in a shootout and one of the officers was shot multiple times.

Two other armed civilians who had been in the complex’s laundry room then arrived to provide cover for both officers until backup could arrive.

Responding RPD officers arrived and found Kennedy dead, lying on his stomach with an AR rifle still in his hands, extended above his head. Police also found a Glock 22 in his waistband and three unopened boxes of ammunition nearby.

Graham was found alive and appeared to have suffered a gunshot wound to the leg. Next to him was a black backpack containing a handgun and an AR pistol was found in a nearby bush wrapped in a shirt. Graham was handcuffed and taken to Renown for treatment.

The officer who was shot multiple times was taken to Renown where he was admitted and underwent surgery for multiple gunshot wounds.

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office subsequently led the investigation into the shooting.

Graham was charged and found guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a handgun. He was sentenced to 144 months in prison on August 14, 2023, with parole eligibility after 56 months.